The African Commission of Health and Human Rights Promoters (CAPSDH) on Tuesday called on political leaders to keep their commitment to achieving universal access to HIV and AIDS prevention,
treatment, care, and support by 2010.
Dr Edmund N. Delle, CAPSDH President who made the call noted that insufficient political will mostly by African Governments and lack of resources to deal with the pandemic had exacerbated the vulnerability of people mostly women and girls to HIV infection in Africa.
He was speaking at the launch of three HIV and AIDS intervention projects by CAPSDH to mark World AIDS Day celebration in Ghana.
Dr Delle called on African Governments, implementers of national AIDS programmes, faith and community organisations and individuals with
opportunities to raise awareness to focus attention on the effect of the global AIDS pandemic.
He noted that the time to sit on the fence was over, "the fight against HIV and AIDS must be holistic, involving Presidents, Ministers of States, Media Practitioners, Lawyers, Reverend Ministers and Traditional Leaders,all and sundry".
"We are all involved either affected or infected so get tested for HIV or practice safer methods to prevent HIV and decide not to engage in high risk behaviours.and talk about HIV prevention with your family, friends, and colleagues or better still provide support to people living with HIV and AIDS," he said.
The CAPSDH President said World AIDS Day had become a time to reflect on the daunting challenges mankind faced in the battle against the tenacious disease although huge strides had been made over the past two decades, "we are, in many respects, continuing to lose ground as new infections outpace our ability to deliver treatment".
Dr Delle noted that currently there were two key areas where effective developments continued to elude researchers - a cure for HIV and AIDS and an effective vaccine to prevent it.
He said the development of a vaccine had become the holy grail of drug researchers, and last September's announcement that an experimental vaccine appeared to reduce the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 per cent made headlines globally.
Unfortunately, Dr Delle noted that analysis of the trial's results suggested that the data was distorted, whilst the vaccine was statistically
ineffective.
He stressed "that's a blow to those of us who work in public health with a concentration on fighting HIV and AIDS, but we must move forward as
quickly as possible".
"An effective vaccine should be pursued aggressively, but it is not the only way to achieve the results we need".
Ms Linda Nana Nyarko, CAPSDH Administrative Assistant said the commission was seeking for sponsorship to organise the three HIV and AIDS
projects next year.
She explained that the projects sought to intensify education of policy makers on human rights abuses and lobby them to legislate on human rights of People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) especially with regard to shelter and employment.
The projects would also focus on instigating governments to consider the promulgation of an HIV and AIDS specific legislation to check infringement on the rights of the PLWAs.
Ms Nyarko said the devastating effect HIV and AIDS could have on the country made such legislation justified.
A survey on AIDS related orphans at orphanages in Greater Accra Region, she said, sought to provide empirical evidence of HIV and AIDS on orphans, their location, health care, educational and other social integration
challenges.
It also provided guidelines for directing government and community responses in providing care and support to orphans.
Ms Nyarko said the fundamental principle of the survey was to ensure that orphans were cared for primarily by their extended family relations,
supported by their communities and community-based organisations and support groups, non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations,
governmental agencies and other concerned parties.
She said Ghana, a signatory to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Declaration of Child Survival, Protection and Development, was obliged to protect all children especially the vulnerable.
Ms Nyarko said CAPSDH would use drama and musical shows to undertake "The Legacy of HIV and AIDS Stigma Caravan Countrywide", and "Assessment of the Impact of HIV and AIDS on the Socio-Cultural Lifestyle of Ghanaians", next year to whip up public awareness.
The annual World AIDS Day celebration on December 1, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV
infection. This year's celebration is on the theme: "Universal Access and Human Rights".